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Impressionism was “born” in 1874 when an art critic reviewed the exhibition of several artists at Nader’s photography studio in Paris. Very unimpressed with Monet’s 1872 printing entitled “Impression Sunrise,” the critic used the term impression and later the word impressionist derogatorily. The name stuck and was worn almost as a badge of honor by the artists who used methods and style similar to Monet’s, and Monet became known as the Father of Impressionism. One might think that this radical departure from the accepted norm rose full blown in Monet and that his comrades merely followed his lead. This oversimplification is natural for laypersons, but it is akin to saying Darwin discovered evolution or Freud discovered the unconscious mind. While all three men are indisputably tied to the concepts with which we identify them, their true genius and claim to being discovered or “Father of . . .” lies more in their ability to synthesize rather than to create.
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Caffeine is a natural ingredient in coffee, cocoa, tea, and chocolate, and is added to some prescription and non-prescription drugs. 2. Despite being “natural,” Caffeine is also a powerful drug which greatly affects the body. 3. In healthy, rested people, a dose of 100 milligrams (about one cup of coffee) increases alertness, banishes drowsiness, quickens reaction time, it enhances intellectual and muscular effort, and increases heart and respiratory rates. 4. Drinking one to two cups of coffee an hour before exercise encourages the body to preserve glycogen and burn fat —–something that results in greater endurance. 5. In addition, caffeine masks fatigue. 6. In doses above 300 milligrams, caffeine can produce sleeplessness, nervousness, irritability, headaches, heart palpitations, and muscle twitches. 7. Caffeine is also habit-forming, and those who try to suddenly stop after heavy use may experience such withdrawal symptoms as headaches, lethargy, irritability, and difficulty in concentrating.
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One of the big programming surprises of the 2002 summer TV series was a show on the Fox Network called American Idol, a talent search that highlighted several aspiring performers. The final episode of the show garnered the biggest audience share among 18- to 49-year old that the network has ever had. Based on a British series called Pop Idol, American Idol is another in a long list of shows that the United States has imported. In fact, many popular U.S. TV shows originated overseas. These include the quiz shows Who Wants to Be A Millionaire and The Weakest Link, both also from Britain. Other examples include Survivor, imported from Sweden; Big Brother, based on a Dutch series of the same name; and TLC’s Trading Spaces, based on the British series, Changing Rooms.
Q. Which statement best expresses the central idea of this paragraph?
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When you want to hang the American flag over the middle of a street, suspend it vertically with the blue field (called the union) to the north and east-west street. When the flag is displayed with another banner from crossed staffs, the American flag is on the right. Place the staff of the American flag in front of the other staff. Raise the flag quickly and lower it slowly and respectfully. When flying the flag at half-mast, hoist it to the top of the pole for a moment before lowering it to mid-pole. When flying the American flag with banners from states or cities, raise the nation’s banner first and lower it last. Never allow the flag to touch the ground.
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These resolutions, demanding in effect that slavery be thus safeguarded-almost to the extent of introducing it into the free states-really foreshadowed the Democratic platform of 1860 which led to the great split in that party, the victory of the Republicans under Lincoln, the subsequent secession of the more radical southern states, and finally the Civil War, for it was inevitable that the North, when once aroused, would bitterly resent such pro-slavery demands.
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The railroad was not the first institution to impose regularity on society or to draw attention to the importance of precise timekeeping. For as long as merchants have set out their wares at daybreak and communal festivities have been celebrated, people have been in rough agreement with their neighbors as to the time of day. The value of this tradition is today more apparent than ever. Were it not for public acceptance of a single yardstick of time, social life would be unbearably chaotic: the massive daily transfers of goods, services, and information would proceed in fits and starts; the very fabric of modern society would begin to unravel.
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Most children have an interest in learning to play a musical instrument at one point or another during their growing-up years. Parents need to take advantage of that urge to play when it appears. Some very small children become intrigued with music because they see their parents or their older siblings play. The Suzuki method of instruction capitalizes on that early willingness to learn by involving the parent and the child in the child’s instructions. Elementary-aged youngsters often are exposed to stringed instruments or band instruments in their school music classes. Because kids like to do what other kids do, parents who are not musicians themselves can take advantage of both instruction and enthusiasm. It is at the middle school level, however, that peer pressure can really work to the benefit of parents who want to hear the sound of music around the house.
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Sometimes too much of a good thing can become a very bad thing indeed. In an earnest attempt to consume a healthy diet, dietary supplement enthusiasts have been known to overdose. Vitamin C, for example, long thought to help people ward off cold viruses, is currently being studied for its possible role in warding off cancer and other diseases that cause tissue degeneration. Unfortunately, an overdose of vitamin C – more than 10,000 mg. – on a daily basis can cause nausea and diarrhea. Calcium supplements, commonly taken by women, are helpful in warding off osteoporosis. More than just a few grams a day, however, can lead to stomach upset and even kidney or bladder stones. Niacin, proven useful in reducing cholesterol levels, can be dangerous in large doses to those who suffer from heart problems, asthma, or ulcers.+
Q. What point is the writer making in this paragraph?